


Kriegsspiel -- Tafl

by MelayneSeahawk



Series: Kriegsspiel [3]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-14
Updated: 2010-07-14
Packaged: 2017-10-10 14:03:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/100567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelayneSeahawk/pseuds/MelayneSeahawk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Atlantis landed, the world was thrown into chaos. Newly-elected American President Michael Taylor shut down the Stargate Program in the hope of appeasing the international community. But something is wrong, and soon the remaining members of the SGC are forced to flee through the 'gate before more of their numbers disappear. Cut off from allies and resources, the survivors turn to galactic piracy to survive--and to arm themselves for a return to Earth, unsure what they will find. Who was really behind the dismantling of the SGC? Is there something more sinister on the horizon? Can SG-1 get to the bottom of the conspiracy and save the world one more time?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to indywind and llian for cheerleading, and to theemdash and secondalto for beta services. Thanks also to mckays_lab, allandaros, and H for help with the hard sci fi terminology, technology, and tactics; to zats_clear for advice on the Cam voice; to princessofg for pacing assistance; and to theemdash and muck_a_luck for assorted help and listening to me spaz. Thanks also go to my father, who helped me arrange my thoughts on the main plot of this story. This would never have been finished without you all!
> 
> This fic was written under the influence of Talking Heads, Bruce Springsteen, and the _Firefly_ soundtrack. Take that how you will.

"Well, that's…news," Sheppard said, but Jack barely heard him. Adria, on Earth. No matter what she was doing there, it couldn't be good.

"I'm assuming you guys knew nothing about this?" Jack said, and Sheppard shook his head.

"We were cut off just after you guys made a run for it," Sheppard said. "We got one weird report about how some renegades had escaped, and General Landry was dead, and then silence. They've buried the 'gate or something, we can't get it to engage. We're still tangled up with the Wraith here—and with the 'gate bridge non-functional—we just haven't had time to investigate. We were hoping you had it under control."

Jack smiled ruefully. "Hardly. We've been running an intergalactic moving service on the other side of the galaxy. Someone can explain that later," he added, shaking his head slightly at Sheppard's incredulous look. "We'd been hoping you had more information."

Sheppard shook his head, no new information. "But if you have a plan at some point, we'll do whatever we can to help."

"Thanks," Jack said.

"I'll send them the address, and we'll come up with some IDCs," Carter said, and Jack nodded.

"Did you build an iris?" McKay pushed an amused Sheppard to one side. "What could you _possibly_ use for materials?"

"Well, it didn't hurt that I helped design the first one," Carter began, and Jack could tell she was heading for technobabble mode. "We had to strip some of the plates from the inside of—"

Jack looked at Daniel and Teal'c and inclined his head toward the door. Daniel nodded, and the three of them walked out into the sunlight. Jack closed his eyes and tipped his head up. Despite everything else, it was nice to see a sun so often, even if it wasn't _his_ sun.

"Well, that was a bit of a letdown," Daniel said.

"To the contrary," Teal'c said. "It is a victory, however small. The promise of additional troops, equipment, and technology is most valuable. It is good to have allies."

"That it is," Jack said, opening his eyes. "Spread the word. And—have the people watching the news feed go back over the old stuff for anything that even hints at Adria's presence. I want to know how long she's been on Earth and what she's been up to." Daniel and Teal'c nodded, and they split up.

None of this was good news, but at least it was some news.

*

Daniel could definitely get used to this: the chance to spend every night in Jack's arms. Neither of them was exactly willing to call it cuddling, but Daniel had to admit that being able to drift off to sleep with Jack wrapped around him was one of the few joys he had these days. It was certainly worth dragging the cots back and forth.

It wasn't worth what was looking to be the permanent loss of Sam's friendship, but Daniel knew there wasn't anything else he could do on that front. It was up to her as to whether she was willing to forgive him, and the harder he pushed the more unlikely that would be.

Unwilling to worry himself unduly, Daniel let himself drowse, idly tumbling the last few days through his head. Suddenly, something clicked into place and he sat up quickly, ignoring Jack's sleepy grumble.

"Jack, it was Adria."

"What?" Jack said, obviously waking up at the name. "We know it's Adria, Barnes told us a few days ago."

Daniel shook his head sharply. "No, that's not what I mean." He got up and started to pace. "Remember, I had one of those vision things the first time you came to Colorado after Taylor shut down the 'gate?" Jack nodded hesitantly, clearly not seeing where Daniel was going with this. "I saw a woman with dark hair, standing in front of a group of kneeling people. I thought it was a memory from when I was Ascended, some Goa'uld I dropped in on or something. But it was Adria. On Earth. She's made herself a little cult or…or something, I don't know. And then I saw her again a few weeks ago, when we were building the structure for the 'gate control systems. Damn it, I should have realized."

"Daniel, sit down," Jack said, with that look that said that he was going to _make_ Daniel sit if he had to. Daniel sat. "You had no way of knowing. Weren't all your other vision thingies of the past, memories from when you were Ascended?"

"The ones I remember, yeah," Daniel said, dropping his head into his hands. "Sometimes I'll know I've had one, but I won't remember what it's about, just emotions."

"Maybe Oma didn't scrub your powers completely last time," Jack said, wrapping his arms around Daniel and pulling him up against his side. "Maybe when you're, you know, out of it, because you're meditating—"

"Or coming down from orgasm," Daniel added, amused to see Jack blush slightly.

"Or that," Jack conceded. "Maybe when that big brain of yours is out of service, it goes wandering. You did say that the Ancients don't really see time the same way we do."

"There is anthropological evidence of the belief in out of body experiences when the brain is in an altered state," Daniel said. "Perhaps the fact that I've Ascended twice means I'm more able to…uh, 'go wandering'. That would explain why I'm seeing the present as well as the past."

Jack yawned, so wide that Daniel could hear the creak in his jaw. "As enlightening as this discovery is, we both need to sleep," he said, relaxing down from his sitting position and pulling Daniel with him before he could argue. "Sleep now, debate the meaning of the universe in the morning."

"Fine," Daniel said, resting his head on Jack's shoulder and closing his eyes. "Maybe I'll discover why you don't believe me what I tell you that you snore."


	2. Chapter 2

"It's so great that we're getting transmissions from Earth again," Dr. Barnes said when Daniel walked into the shed they'd set aside for shuffling through the Earth transmissions. "I've found the coolest thing." He looked at her, confused. "Come on," she said, taking his arm and pulling him over to one of the monitors.

The sound was turned too low for Daniel to hear, but it seemed to be an advertisement, one of those long infomercials they play before the crack of dawn; 'gatelag meant Daniel had seen more than enough of those in his time. There were images of waves crashing on a beach, mountainscapes, and people doing what Daniel realized, after a long moment, must be yoga. He was about to ask Dr. Barnes why this was so interesting when the images changed and Adria appeared on the screen.

The standard Americanized yoga outfit she wore was more than incongruous, but it was obviously her. Out of habit, Daniel found himself lip-reading, but all Adria was talking about was the miracle exercise program she was selling. The bizarreness of it had him speechless for a minute. "Do you have any idea what she's doing on Earth?" he asked finally.

"Well, teaching yoga, silly," Dr. Barnes said, with a surprisingly lighthearted laugh. "She looks amazing."

"Jenna," Daniel said, taking the linguist's shoulders and turning her to face him. "This is Adria here. There is no way she's just trying to make a living as a fitness instructor."

Now that Daniel was looking closely, he realized that Jenna's eyes were fever-bright, even though her skin was cool. "I think we should go see Dr. Lam," he said gently, turning and starting to lead her out the door.

"But…" Jenna said, turning back to the screen.

"We can watch more later, okay?" Daniel said, and Jenna smiled brightly. "Why don't you head over to the infirmary and I'll meet you there." Jenna nodded and bounced out the door. Daniel quickly turned off the video and then hurried out behind her, just to make sure she went straight to Lam.

*

"It's some kind of brainwashing, but it's like nothing I've ever seen," Lam said. "Her dopamine and serotonin levels are very high. Not dangerously so, but it's a similar response you'd see to LSD and other street drugs."

"Are we sure it's not just drugs?" Jack said. That at least was something they could deal with.

Lam shuffled her papers and put them on the table. They were sitting in her office alcove, the sounds of a nurse checking on Armstrong's sprain drifting in from the corner. Daniel was sitting at Dr. Barnes' side in the main infirmary, listening to her talk excitedly about something.

"The tox screen came back clean," Lam said. "Even if it's a drug we're not familiar with, _something_ would show up in her blood. But beyond the neurotransmitter imbalance, she's perfectly fine. The obsession with Adria would also hint at some kind of manipulation, something more than just drugs."

"We can take a look at that commercial she was watching, see if there's a subliminal feed in it," Carter said. She was standing behind Lam's chair, arms crossed over her chest.

"Make sure no one actually watches or listens to it," Jack said. "Until we know what's causing smile time, I can't risk losing more people to this thing."

"The computers can examine it without us," Carter said, without the animosity that Jack was starting to get used to. Were things improving? He'd have to ask Daniel. "I usually prefer a set of human eyes on it, but in this case it's not worth the risk."

"I've examined Dr. Jackson, but he seems to be fine," Lam said. "It's possible he wasn't exposed long enough, or that it's transmitted aurally. I'd like to keep him under observation just to make sure there isn't a delayed reaction."

"Do it," Jack said. "Both of you. Sam, let me know as soon as you guys have something. This might help explain what Adria's been up to. Oh, and no one watches the satellite feed until we have this figured out."

"Yes, sir," Carter said.

"I'm going to go take a look in on my patients," Lam said, standing up. "I'll let you know if I learn anything else." She went into the main infirmary, leaving Jack and Carter to eye each other warily.

"I want to apologize for my earlier behavior, sir," Carter said. "My…my feelings on a certain personal situation have been affecting my work." Jack opened his mouth to speak, but Carter held up a hand. "Let me finish, please." Jack nodded. "Vala brought this to my attention, and I am sorry for my unprofessional behavior. I would hate to think that my actions negatively affected our progress."

"Can I say something now?" Jack asked. Carter nodded, almost warily. "Sam, if this was you working while distracted, you could probably take over the galaxy if you were focused."

Carter flushed slightly. "Thank you, sir."

Jack smiled slightly. "Since we're on better terms again, you can drop the 'sir'."

"Actually, I don't think that's the best idea," Carter said. "For right now I'd like to keep this…more professional. I think that will help sort this out."

Jack nodded. "As long as we're working on it, I'll be content."

"Yes, sir," she said, and her slight smile was more reassuring than anything she could have said.


	3. Chapter 3

"It was in the video feed," Sam said, turning her monitor so that Daniel and Jack could see a screen of—to Daniel—unintelligible scribbles. "An extra signal, flashes of light just outside of the visible spectrum but still enough to affect the brain. The influence is almost instantaneous."

"Why wasn't I affected?" Daniel asked.

Sam shrugged. "Your glasses, maybe? They could refract the light differently. We can examine it."

"Can you filter it out?" Jack asked, leaning on the lab bench next to Daniel. "The feed is the only way we're going to get a clue about what she's up to; we need to be able to watch it."

"We're already working on a filter," Sam said, with a slight smile. "Unfortunately, we don't have the right equipment to figure out exactly what the transmission was doing. It's not like anything I've ever seen before."

Daniel opened his mouth, but instead of what he'd planned, he said, "What about the Ark of Truth?" Sam and Jack both looked at him sharply. "Was there any research done on how the Ark works?"

"Some, at Area 51," Sam said. "It should be in the _Odyssey_'s computers. Why?"__

"The Ark is just a whitewashed brainwashing machine," Daniel said. "Truth, in this case, is just whatever the programmer wants people to think—and it's Ancient technology. Adria might have known how to build it if she Descended with the knowledge she'd had."

Daniel could see the gears turning in Sam's head. "If she has a device that creates a programmable subliminal signal, she could record the signal and broadcast it over the television just like any other signal."

"But what's her endgame?" Jack asked. "What's the point of brainwashing people so they like her?"

"If Merlin's device worked, the Ori are dead," Daniel said, tightening one hand into a fist. "She doesn't have masters to serve anymore. And during the time when I was captured, she really seemed to like all the attention she got from people. Maybe that's all she wants."

"She's taking over the Earth so that she has people who like her?" Jack asked, obviously incredulous.

"Remember, Jack, underneath the Ori's artificial aging, she's only like four, five years old," Daniel said. "A five year old in the body of an adult and with the powers of a god, sure, but what child who's been raised with everyone adoring her wouldn't want to keep the attention?"

Jack nodded slowly. "I'm still not convinced that's all she's after."

"Once we've finished the filter, we can find out," Sam cut in. "We know what to look for, now, but it's probably smart to run the filter on everything, just to be on the safe side."

"Definitely," Jack said. "Good job, Carter, keep it up."

*

"So, the information in the database is surprisingly extensive," Sam said, when they convened a meeting of the onworld team leaders a few hours later. "_Someone_ was pushing for research of the Ark."

"Remind me to have someone destroy it when we get home," O'Neill said, and Sam gave him a wan smile.

"Let's worry about getting home first," Reynolds said.

"Good or bad, it works to our advantage," Sam said. Her smile became more genuine; she liked having good news. For once. "They were able to do a complete analysis of the light emitted by the Ark. We still don't know how it works, of course, but we know enough to recognize that the transmission Dr. Barnes saw contained very similar elements. I hypothesize that the minute differences are how the specific message is conveyed."

"And this is good news?" O'Neill said, and Sam frowned.

Sam frowned, but before she could respond, Daniel said, "No, this is good. It certainly explains things." Sam recognized the look on his face. It reminded her of the good old days, when she and Daniel were a team, Jack O'Neill's Wonder Twins. It made her heart ache a little. "Do you have any idea why I'm immune? We might be able to use it."

"Jan—" Sam swallowed. "Dr. Fraiser had observed some changes in your vitals and other little medical differences after…you came back. It's possible that your physiology is just different enough that you wouldn't be affected."

"That might explain why the non-Earth humans started disappearing," Daniel said. "If their physiology is just different enough—"

"—they could be immune, too," Sam finished for him, and Daniel smiled brilliantly. She couldn't help but smile back. It felt good to be on the same page again. "So, if someone wanted to minimize resistance, they'd need them out of the way." Daniel nodded quickly. "But the implications…"

"It means it's likely this whole mess is Adria's fault," Daniel said, his thoughts obviously following the same thread as Sam's.

"She must have been able to get away from Morgan Le Fay and Descend."

"She wouldn't have been happy being Ascended, without her human toys to play with," he said, grimacing, maybe at a memory, and Sam remembered how scared she'd been the whole time Daniel had been a Prior. "Do you think she came to Earth on purpose?"

"No way of knowing."

"When we find her, we can ask," Cam said, and Sam suddenly remembered that there were other people in the room.

"Does this help us figure out how to stop this?" O'Neill asked.

"It might," Sam said, thinking. She pulled up the two different wave patterns on her tablet and turned it so O'Neill could see. "The biggest difference between the Ark and Adria's device is the number of different frequencies present. Adria's signal doesn't have the visible light component. This might indicate that it works slightly differently."

"Like, it's not permanent?" Daniel suggested. "The Ark needed just one exposure, but Adria's signal is still broadcasting. Maybe the brainwashing needs to be refreshed…over time, or something."

"We can only hope," O'Neill said. "Carter, get back to us if you come up with anything else, but this is a good place to start. Dismissed, everyone."

Sam stayed seated as the meeting broke up. She saw Daniel whisper something to Jack, and then Jack left, leaving them alone in the mess hall. Daniel came back to the table. "That was fun," he said softly, almost like a peace offering.

"Yeah," Sam said, standing up and smiling slightly. "It was."


	4. Chapter 4

"I can't believe you're watching Oprah," Cam said, entering the transmission lab and leaning on the desk next to Jackson's chair.

"It's a fascinating cultural phenomenon," Jackson said. "There's more to keeping track of what's going on back home than watching CNN."

Cam rolled his eyes and sat down in an extra chair. Jackson was manning the lab by himself today; people were still leery of it. "Learn anything interesting?"

"There's a wonderful new novel out that I'll never read, and I'm wearing the wrong colors for my complexion," Jackson said, and Cam realized he'd been joking. "I'm actually waiting for the next segment."

"They going to tell you how to rearrange your shack to improve your chi?"

Jackson shook his head, but he was smiling slightly. "Adria's going to be on."

Cam sat forward in his chair. "Now that's worth tuning in for. Filter's on, right?"

"Of course," Daniel said. "I may be immune, but we don't need to lose anyone else to her, whatever she's up to."

Cam nodded. He was silent while Jackson fast-forwarded through the ads. Cam had been surprised to find that he hadn't missed television at all, at first because they'd all been too busy, but now it all felt so far away. He hadn't thought about it much, but maybe that wasn't a good thing.

"Ok, here we are," Jackson said, and Cam brought his attention back to the screen. Jackson turned up the volume.

"And now I'm pleased to introduce a giant in the workout and self-improvement landscape." Oprah said. "Adria!" There was crazy applause and the camera switched to a shot of Adria walking onto the stage. Even though he was expecting it, Cam could hear his own sharp intake of breath.

"Thank you for having me," Adria said, once she'd sat down and the audience had stopped whooping.

"Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule," Oprah said, and there was another smattering of applause. "Tell us about yourself. What do you consider the secret to your success?"

"Well, if I told you, it wouldn't be a secret," Adria said, with a catlike grin, and there was audible laughter from the audience. "I grew up in a really religious environment. I grew away from that as I got older, but I kept the spiritual part of it. I discovered the yogic tradition some years ago while on a sabbatical, and I just felt very drawn to it."

"Well, she lies like a pro," Cam said.

"On the contrary. It's just close enough to the truth to be honest."

"But we know all this," Cam said. "Why are we watching this?"

"Because I want to figure out how she got to where she is now," Jackson said. "I have a feeling she's been influencing people in power since long before we left Earth. I want to know how."

"And you think she'll tell us on national television?" Cam asked.

"It's worth a shot."

"—one of those people who came from pretty much nothing and made it big," Oprah was saying. "How did you do it?"

"It was luck, actually," Adria said. "I was teaching a class at a community center and Jennifer—Mrs. Taylor, President Taylor's wife—just happened to be in it. After a few months I became her personal trainer. And then after her husband got elected…you know how everyone wants to know all about the First Lady's exercise regime, the First Lady's favorite places to shop, the First Lady's favorite ice cream. I just happened into the public eye by accident. It was a great opportunity for me."

Jackson turned off the video feed, and Cam glanced at him. "You think she's telling the truth?"

"I think she might be," Jackson said. "It would make sense. Maybe she aimed to influence politicians, maybe not, but I don't think she expected to have the opportunity to affect the whole nation. She doesn't seem to have planned for it."

"But you're thinking she will take advantage of the situation," Cam said. "Any idea what her endgame is?"

"No idea," Jackson said. "But it can't be good."

*

Sam knew she had stumbled into an intimate moment the second she rounded the corner. Cam and Carolyn were standing close together, his hand on her hip, their foreheads pressed together. They didn't seem to have realized she'd burst in, so Sam quickly backed out of the med hut and into the sunshine. She realized that her eyes were prickling, and scrubbed at them before she could cry.

"ColonelCarter, are you well?" a voice said behind her, and Sam turned to see Teal'c approaching from the direction of the mess building. His ship was temporarily grounded—engine repairs, if Sam remembered correctly—so he was wearing the Jaffa robes he preferred when he was off-duty. Sam still found it strange to see him in anything other than BDUs.

"Nothing important," she said. She started to walk away from the main settlement, Teal'c half a step behind her.

"But you are distressed."

Sam sighed. "Everyone who doesn't have someone on Earth seems to be pairing off," she said. "Cam and Carolyn. Bill and Miranda Weatherby. O'Neill and Daniel…" Realizing what she'd said, she looked up quickly, but Teal'c's expression was serene as always.

"I am aware of O'Neill and DanielJackson's relationship," Teal'c said. "There was an…incident, not long after our arrival on this planet, and they deemed it appropriate to inform a few individuals so as to minimize difficulties if they were found out."

"After I caught them, probably," Sam said, looking down at her hands. "How did people take it?" she couldn't help but ask.

"I believe ColonelBattelle's antagonism for O'Neill arises, in part, from this revelation."

Sam nodded, unsure what to say to that.

"It would be unwise to continue to delay your life on the hope for what may never come to pass," Teal'c said softly, and Sam glanced up at him sharply. "I have known you a long time, SamanthaCarter, and I know of your feelings for O'Neill." They had stopped by the tree line by this point, and Sam turned to face him. Teal'c leaned forward and pressed a brotherly kiss on her forehead. "You dishonor yourself. I believe the phrase is 'you deserve better'."

"Thanks, Teal'c," Sam said. "I'm beginning to realize that."

*

Daniel and Carter were watching talking heads on some news station when Jack walked into the lab with Dr. Lee on his heels. "I was told it was really, really important?" Jack said. Lee scurried over to stand behind Carter. Since the incident with the plants, Jack had the feeling that the scientist was a little afraid of him; he didn't mind.

"It definitely is," Carter said. "I'll play it from the beginning."

"Pull up a chair," Daniel said, scooting over to make space. "You're going to need it."

Slightly mystified by whatever his Wonder Twins were up to now, Jack pulled up a chair and sat down. "What am I watching?"

"It's a press conference with President Taylor, sometime within the last forty-eight hours," Carter said. She had paused on an image of the President, the bar along the bottom indicating that this had been grabbed from CNN. Carter shot Jack an expectant look and pressed 'play'.

"—the international community. Too long have we been the policeman of this planet, with no assistance from our so-called allies, even as our own people are attacked, our systems of democracy shattered," Taylor said, and Jack sat forward in his chair. "But that time is over. We have decided, for the betterment of mankind, that the planet should be united in the American model. We will spread democracy to all the people of this planet. Only then will we be ready to truly explore the stars."

"What the _hell_?" Jack didn't even care that his voice had cracked on the last word.

"Ssh," Daniel said, smiling sardonically. "It gets better."

"—accepting surrender at the end of this speech," Taylor continued. "We do not want combat—our purpose is to protect human life—but we have troops positioned in various staging locations all over the world to quell any opposition."

The camera pulled back, revealing a row of seated figures behind the Taylor. Vice-President Addison was seated on his right, the First Lady on his left…and next to her was Adria, grinning like a small child with a new toy.

"We have only the best intentions at heart." Taylor smiled in a way that might have been paternal. "God bless America, God bless the world, and good night."

Carter turned off the clip. "After that is just pundits and news of which countries are surrendering," she said.

"It seems like the more technologically advanced countries—the ones that get American television—are already surrendering," Daniel said. "I wonder why," he added, grimacing.

"We won't get the next transmission until tomorrow morning," Carter said. "But we should definitely be getting ready to head home."

"That'll take four days, at least," Jack said, rubbing his eyes. "Even if we're only using the fastest ships and going at full speed."

"Taylor's given them seven days to make their decision," Carter said. "If we leave tomorrow morning, we should be there before the Americans attack."

"Assuming no one attacks preemptively," Jack pointed out.

"The less technologically advanced countries would be slaughtered if they tried to take on the Americans, even if they managed to work together," Carter said.

"So we have to hope they don't."

"What else can we do?"

"We need to prepare," Jack said. "Alright, meeting in two hours. Carter, start organizing people to bring the _Odyssey_ back up, we're going to need her. Daniel, get on the horn and call in all the ships and market teams that are offworld."

Jack sat back in his chair, suddenly exhausted. "Dear God, she's trying to start World War Three."


	5. Chapter 5

"Intergalactic briefing. Nifty," Jack said, and Daniel rolled his eyes. Vala held back a laugh; those two were so _cute_. That fact alone had almost been enough to convince her to forgive Daniel for lying to her. She had no idea how they'd hidden when Jack had been at the SGC.

Sam finished typing into the pretty little system her team had developed, and the 'gate whooshed into life. "Atlantis, this is SGC offworld base, do you read?" she said into the mic. Jack was leaning over the back of her chair, and Vala noticed that Sam didn't lean away from him like she had been doing. Progress, perhaps, in the thawing of their relationship?

"Sheppard here," came through the speakers, and Sam clicked another few keys and the video screen flickered into life. Vala smiled, even though she was outside the camera's range; she'd always liked John Sheppard's gravity-defying hair. "What's the news from the Milky Way?"

"Nothing good, unfortunately," Jack said. "We've figured out Adria's plan, but we might not have enough time to influence it. About two weeks ago, there was an outbreak of a flu-like disease in New York, Washington, and a dozen other cities internationally. The CDC and a special UN task force were able to keep it from turning into a pandemic, but then they realized that it was artificial. Alien in origin."

"How did people respond?" Sheppard asked.

"Internationally, there was a bit of a panic, but nothing too serious," Jack said. "Back at home there was a bit of a…problem." Jack grimaced. "Congress voted to grant the President emergency powers to deal with the alien threat, and once Congress went into recess, someone blew up the Capitol Building."

There was shocked silence from the Atlantis end for a few moments. "Was anyone hurt?"

"A few caretakers and clerks were killed, but it could have been a lot worse." Jack rubbed a hand over his face. "Taylor decided not to reconvene the Congress—to protect them. I think it's a load of—" Jack stopped. "Basically Congress has been dissolved, and yesterday Taylor declared war on the rest of the world."

"He says it's to unite the planet against the alien threat," Daniel said, leaning over Sam's other shoulder to reach the mic. "But it's clear this is Adria's doing."

Sheppard nodded, expression grim. "How long do we have?"

"Less than a week," Jack said.

"What can we do to help?"

"Any personnel you can spare."

"Lifesigns detectors would be great," Sam chimed in. "We will likely hunt for Adria at some point. They might come in handy." Jack nodded in agreement.

"Give me a few hours to make arrangements, sir, and then we can dial you up and start transferring personnel and equipment."

Jack nodded, obviously pleased. "Sounds like a plan."

*

After the Atlantis briefing, Jack told everyone to take a break to decompress. "An hour isn't going to make that much of a difference, at this point," he pointed out when a few people looked like they were going to protest. "Use it to stretch, get your thoughts together, whatever. We'll be planning strategy soon enough. Daniel, with me."

He didn't speak when they left the 'gate control room, Daniel only a step behind him. Daniel was silent, too, as they crossed the center of the settlement and to the hut they shared. It wasn't until Jack pushed him down onto their cot that Daniel spoke. "Jack? What—"

Jack kissed him, and though it was clear Daniel was confused, he still brought his arms up to encircle Jack's waist. After the bombshells of the day, Jack found the warmth of him to be soothing. "Humor me?"

"Always," Daniel said, with a fond smile. He brought one hand up to tangle in Jack's hair.

"I need—" Jack kissed Daniel again, harder this time, with more urgency. Daniel seemed to get it, even if Jack didn't, because he rolled them over, over the crease where the two mattresses met and onto the other side, so Daniel's weight was holding him down, safe and surrounded.

"I've got you," Daniel whispered, hot against Jack's ear. He held Jack down for a moment longer, and then Jack shook off his hands and they were frantically stripping off each other's clothes. They didn't bother to fully undress, just pushed things aside until they could get their hands on bare skin. Jack couldn't bite back his moan when Daniel lined them up and wrapped a hand around both their cocks, hot and tight and _perfect_.

Jack knew he wasn't going to last long, so he tangled his hands in Daniel's hair and pulled him down for a scorching kiss. Daniel fisted them a few times and then Jack was coming with a sound somewhere between a shout and a sob. Daniel released them and thrust against Jack's belly, and then he was coming, too.

But there was something wrong, because Daniel's back stiffened and he froze for a long, breathless moment before falling forward slightly with a barely audible curse.

"What did you see?" Jack asked, stroking one hand over Daniel's temple and neck.

Daniel didn't bother to ask how he knew, just rolled to one side so he could lie on his back, staring up at the leafy ceiling. "Adria," he spat. "She's like a kid in a candy store."

"Yeah, but we knew that," Jack said. He sat up with a grunt and started to clean up, taking off his t-shirt and wiping off his belly.

"It's another thing to see her," Daniel said, and Jack imagined it was probably true. "How long until the meeting?"

Jack checked his watch and winced. "Fifty-two minutes. Not exactly our best time."

Daniel chuckled, closing his eyes. "When this is all over, we'll make love for hours, okay? Stop rolling your eyes at me."

"Did not."

"Liar."

*

It was times like these that Daniel really, _really_ missed coffee. They hadn't been able to find a substitute, and while caffeinated tea would do in a pinch, Daniel missed the taste as much as the buzz. Still, he nodded for a refill when Cam came around with the pot of _eh-cha_, since the meeting was in its eighth hour and counting, and he was drifting off.

"We have to kill Adria," Colonel Battelle was saying, and Daniel frowned. "She's the root of all of this."

"That won't solve the problem," Cam said, before Daniel could cut in. "We know she's not using her own powers to control people, so it's the device we have to worry about taking out."

"We still have to find the device," Sam pointed out. "We can't destroy it if we don't know where it is."

"That may be easier to solve than we think," Daniel said, pushing his tea away and leaning forward. "Adria has some kind of complex in the mountains in western Maryland, up by the West Virginia border. She brings all kinds of people up there for 'yoga retreats'. That might be a good place to start."

Jack nodded. "Carter, get your people looking back over the archive for any information about this place. If people come away from it raving about how wonderful Adria is, we might be in the right neighborhood."

Daniel suddenly had a horrible thought. "What if destroying the device, killing Adria, whatever…What if it doesn't fix things?"

There was a moment of tense silence as people thought about that one. They had no idea what would happen if Adria's device was destroyed; for all they knew, feedback could kill everyone in the room, or everyone who had been exposed to it. Barnes' brainwashing had faded, but she'd only been exposed for a short period of time. Extended exposure might not be reversible, or it might only be reversible with the device they were going to destroy. It was a sobering—and, in Daniel's opinion, terrifying—thought.

I guess we burn that bridge when we come to it," Jack said finally. "So, Carter, talk to me about raising the _Odyssey_."


	6. Chapter 6

Vala had never realized how much preparation went into these operation things until she was called upon to help. Sure, she'd helped gather intelligence before, and gone through the 'gate with SG-1 numerous times, but she'd never been involved with counting guns and making sure everyone had the right gear. She swore they were counting the individual bullets as well.

The scientists were working on raising the _Odyssey_ and making sure the fleet was ready. A few of the Marines were on their way back from a commerce planet, with hopefully additional zat'nik'tel in tow. The rest of their little band of merry men—Cam had recently suggested Vala read about the Tau'ri Robin Hood—were either helping with preparation or standing around looking nervous.

Vala looked up as Teal'c entered the mess building, carrying a crate. "More zat'nik'tels from the _Quantico_," he said.

"Put them here," Vala said, pushing aside a stack of lifesigns detectors to make space. She opened the crate and stepped aside so people could add them to the stacks of tac vests and P90s.

"ValaMalDoran."

Vala looked up, surprised that Teal'c was still standing there. She could only call his stance 'looming'. "Yes, Muscles?"

"Why are you here?"

"Daniel said I was bothering him," she said with an easy, false smile.

"You misunderstand my question," Teal'c said, and Vala knew he'd seen right through her. "Why do you join the Tau'ri fight against Adria?"

"I helped bring her into this galaxy, even if it wasn't my choice," Vala said, her smile sliding away. "I'm her mother. She's my problem, too."

"Why did you not leave once a base had been established on this planet?"

Vala was silent for a moment. It had been a question she'd asked herself before, at least before they'd found out that Adria was alive. "I guess you're not the only one who calls Earth home now."

Teal'c nodded, seemingly satisfied. "I will retrieve the cache of zat'nik'tels from the _Lejeune_."

"You do that," Vala said, mostly to herself. "We'll need all the help we can get."

*

They were about as prepared as they could be, Jack rationalized, and the fact that he _had_ to made him shudder. He hated waiting to start an op, but he hated going into an op with no intel—hated going in blind—even more. This time there wasn't anything they could do. The people with jobs to do were doing them as fast as they could. They didn't have time to wait for more information…. Earth was in danger.

"Just looking at you, I can tell you're thinking something overdramatic," Daniel said, interrupting his unpleasant reverie. "Worrying?"

"At the moment, it's all I can do," Jack said. "Carter's team is doing their thing, everyone else is suited up and ready to go. What else _can_ I do?"

"You can come watch," Daniel said, taking Jack's hand and tugging him up from the cot. "Sam says she's ready."

Jack let Daniel lead him out of the cabin, pleased as usual that they _could_ hold hands, even if it wasn't their style. Jack let go as they cleared the cluster of huts and joined the others who were standing in the copse of trees that gave them the best view of the shore.

There were a few scientists clustered around a piece of high tech something-or-other that had been removed from the _Odyssey_, but the rest of the small crowd were like Jack: soldiers, waiting for something to do. There was a flurry of conversation from the group around the computer, and then the surface of the lake began to roil.

And then they were treated to the breathtaking sight of the _Odyssey_ rising from the lake, nose tipped upward slightly, water pouring off its majestic bulk. Jack had never _liked_ the _Daedalus_-class ships—too bulky, they didn't have the smooth, flight-worthy silhouette of a plane—but this was a sight he wouldn't forget in a hurry.

"Wow," Daniel said next to him.

"That the best you can come up with?" Jack teased, but it was the only word that he could think of, too. "Some linguist you are." Daniel elbowed him in the side.

There was a crackle of radio static from the cluster of scientists, and Jack moved closer to investigate. "—seems to be a success," Carter's voice came through the walkie. "All systems are reading normal and ready to go. Can you tell the General—"

"Right here," Jack said, taking the walkie. "Good job, Carter."

"Team effort, sir," she said, but her tone wasn't nearly as chilly as it had been a few days before. "We'll be ready to start loading up in a matter of minutes."

"Sounds good." Jack waved to the assembled teams, who headed off back to their little complex. "We'll be ready to go when you are. It looks like we're headed home."


	7. Chapter 7

Jack was expecting a welcome wagon when the _Odyssey_ and the rest of their little fleet moved into orbit. And, right on schedule, Major Andrews reported from navigation, "There's a squadron of F-302s approaching, sir. Shall I change course?

"No, we should be fine for right now," Jack said. "Wait for them to contact us."

At his words, the radio crackled into life. The fighter pilot's gulp was audible over the radio transmission, and Jack couldn't help his grin. "Un—unidentified craft…crafts," came over the radio. "You are violating Earth airspace. Please identify yourselves and prepare for immediate landing."

Jack pressed a button on the arm of the captain's chair. "Stand down, airman," he said. "We're just coming home for a visit."

"Identify yourselves and prepare to land!"

"We'll be over the target in ten minutes," Carter said from navigation. The F-302s were still approaching the _Odyssey_.

"Davidson, you have the bridge," Jack said, standing up. "Keep them busy, but do not fire under any circumstances."

"Yes, sir." Davidson smirked. "Not like they could do much to us, anyway."

"True, but we don't want them firing nukes at us, do we?" Jack said. He clicked another button to connect him to ship-wide communications. "Strike team members, meet in hanger one for transport in five."

"Unidentified ship, if you do not land immediately, we will fire," the pilot was saying.

Jack hesitated on his way off the bridge. "We've got it, sir," Davidson said. The lead fighter fired on the _Odyssey_, and even though the ship didn't even move, Jack winced. "Really, sir, we're fine. You just go take that bitch out."

Jack took one last look at the squadron of fighters bearing down on the _Odyssey_ and left the bridge.

*

When Cam had said he'd wanted to get the band back together, he'd never imagined that he'd go into a combat situation—one that the fate of the world rested on—with Jack O'Neill and SG-1 in the lead and SG-3 at his back. He'd mostly gotten over the hero worship, but gearing up with these men and women was still a dream come true. Completely inappropriate time for awe, but at least he wasn't wetting his drawers like a schoolboy instead.

Cam took the P90 and zat he was given, strapping on the gear. "Use zats as much as possible," O'Neill was saying. "One shot only. These people are under the influence of Adria's mojo, they're not the enemy."

Next, Cam was given a hand-sized white box with a screen on it. One of the Atlantis lifesign detectors, he guessed; he'd read about them but never seen one. "The compound Adria is most likely in isn't shielded from our scans," Sam said. "We're downloading a map to your detector now. We're going to beam down into the center, which should have fewer people, and then we'll send groups down different hallways." Sam started to list off the team assignments, breaking everyone up into teams of two or three. Cam was going down with Teal'c and Vala, which was fine by him.

"Everyone ready?" O'Neill said, and there were staggered nods as people finished putting on their tac vests and prepping their zats. "Beaming down in ten. Nine."

Cam flexed his fingers on the grip of his zat and positioned the detector, holding it like a flashlight above the weapon. The group was a bright yellow-white spot in the middle of an otherwise blank screen. Suddenly, the ship shook, and there was a crackle as the ship-wide communication system hiccupped into life. "General O'Neill, sir, we have incoming."

"You guys can handle the _Hammond_," O'Neill said, shifting from one foot to the other.

"It's not the _Hammond_," Davidson's voice said. "It's a fleet. Two ha'tak, a dozen al'kesh, half a dozen tel'tak."

"Lucian Alliance," Cam breathed, and he could see the same thought had dawned on O'Neill.

"Mitchell, get to the bridge," O'Neill said, and Cam sighed. "They might need people in F-302s."

"Son of a—" Cam muttered under his breath, handing off his P90 and lifesign detector to the Marine who stepped up to take his place. He'd been _this close_ to going down with SG-1. He hurried to the bridge. _This close_.

*

Daniel watched Cam leave, and then turned back, catching Jack's eyes. He could tell the other man was worried, but he hid it quickly. "Let's try this again, shall we?" Jack said, and a few people smiled wanly. "Countdown from five. Four."

Daniel stared at the yellow-white lights on his lifesign detector. Sam had tried to rig up a sensor to detect people who had been affected by Adria's brainwashing, but beyond the elevated neurotransmitter levels, there were no physiological differences. It was worrying, actually. What if they lost more people to Adria before they were able to take her down?

Daniel must have missed Jack finishing the countdown, because suddenly there was the ice water down the back feeling of beaming and he was looking at cinderblock walls over the curve of Sam's shoulder. Daniel glanced down at his detector, which was now showing a bright circle in the center of a network of rooms and hallways.

"Not exactly what I'd expect from a yoga retreat," he said to Sam, in an undertone.

"We're a story or two underground," she replied. "There's a temple-looking thing above us."

"Cultural appropriation," Daniel said, lip curling in disgust. Sam shook her head at him, but he could see a hint of a smile around her mouth, and he turned his attention back to Jack.

"Reynolds, take the northwest branch," he was saying. "Kay, west. Teal'c, south. We'll take east. It doesn't seem like we've been detected yet. Let's keep it that way. Radio silence unless you run into a major problem…or you find her."

Jack rolled his shoulders and adjusted the brim of his baseball cap. "Happy hunting."


	8. Chapter 8

"Hail the _Hammond_," Cam said as soon as he was on the bridge. He slid into the command chair Davidson had just vacated. Cam didn't recognize the face that appeared on the screen, but he didn't let that faze him. "Colonel, I know you may not like us in your airspace, but you have a bigger problem right now."

"It seems to me that they're your problem, not mine," was the reply, and Cam would have to admit to thinking uncharitable thoughts about his mother.

"That's a Lucian Alliance fleet. Their ships're probably modified. A force that size could blow us both out of the sky if we don't work together," Cam said. "How's about we pick up our own dispute after we send these guys packing?"

The Colonel gestured to someone offscreen, and the audio cut out. Cam could see him speaking with the Major at the weapons console, and idly wondered what they were saying. Cam tapped his fingers on the arm of the chair, suddenly realizing that they hadn't moved since the first shot from the Lucian Alliance ha'tak. "Major, what's the fleet doing?"

"They seem to just be sitting there. No, wait, the tel'tak are moving."

"They're using the rings to seed the space between us and the rest of the enemy fleet," Davidson called from behind Cam.

"Mines," Cam breathed. "Scan them, see if you can figure out what kind of firepower they have."

"It can't be much, since they're dropping them so close to their own ships," Andrews pointed out.

"But they'd definitely be enough to take out an F-302, maybe even an al'kesh," Major Stein said from tactical.

"Target as many mines as possible and open fire with forward railguns," Cam said, leaning forward in the captain's chair. "I want that area cleared before we get there. This fight's going to happen anyway, no reason we have to wait for them to start firing."

Just then, the audio came back on from the _Hammond_. "We'll work with you for now," the Colonel said. "What's your plan?"

*

"Cinderblock is probably the ugliest building material humanity has ever created," Daniel said from close enough to Jack's side that Jack was able to elbow him gently.

"Quiet, Daniel." He glanced at Carter, who was checking up ahead. Jack wasn't willing to trust his team's safety to a gizmo.

"We haven't bumped into anyone yet," Daniel said. "Actually, we should be running into a dead end according to the map."

"Except there's a door here," Carter said, and Jack hurried forward to her position. "It must have some kind of shielding."

"Now that's more like it," Jack said, and he heard Daniel chuckle behind him. "Open on three?" he asked, and Carter nodded. "Daniel, stay behind me."

Jack half expected an argument but instead Daniel sidestepped into position behind him, so close Jack could feel Daniel's breath on the back of his neck; it was comforting. He glanced at Carter, whose hand gripped the doorknob. The door would open in, based on the frame, which would protect them for a few seconds but would also block their line of sight. Jack raised his zat.

"One. Two. Three."

Carter threw the door open and Jack pressed forward, distantly surprised it had been unlocked.

"There go the lifesign detectors," Daniel said, just as Jack's screen went dark.

The room was empty, with another closed door on the opposite side. Jack stepped in further, Daniel and Carter behind him. The cinderblock-look had been softened with hanging silks and dark-stained wood furniture. Jack guessed it mimicked rooms in Ori ships.

On a table to one side was a fist-sized wooden box, lid open, with a slight orange glow emanating from the inside. "Carter, that's probably your doodad," Jack said, and Carter nodded. "See if you can take it out. Daniel, watch the way we came. I've got the other door."

Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw Carter pull a pair of goggles from her vest. He knew she and some of the other scientists had been developing a portable way to block Adria's magic light. From their barely-finished appearance—he could have sworn the temples were held on with duct tape—Jack guessed they were a prototype.

"I'm going to skip the preliminaries and just blow this thing up," Carter said, and Jack heard Velcro and then the beeping as she set a timer.

"Always a fan of that plan," Jack said. "You have enough C4?"

"Should be fine." Jack heard a click—probably the box closing—and then there was silence while Carter prepped the explosives. "I'm going to put this out in the hall, just in case it causes a secondary explosion."

Jack turned slightly to see Carter take the box out into the corridor and came back in, closing the door. Jack turned back to the near door, and after a few seconds there was the bang of the explosion. "That do it?" he asked.

The door groaned as Carter opened it. "I think the burn marks on the floor would say yes."

"That was almost too easy," Jack said. "Let's continue forward and—"

Jack was interrupted by the door in front of him opening. He lifted his zat again, and was greeted with the sight of Adria.

He was glad to see she looked pissed.

"Why are you so troublesome?" Adria said. She looked like she was on the verge of throwing a temper tantrum.

"Just part of our charm," Jack said.

"Hardly," Adria said. She lifted her hand, and Jack barely registered a slight orange glow before he was thrown backward. He felt his legs break first, then his ribs, then his skull. Burns from staff blasts across his legs and torso. Bullet wounds, from the SGC and before. Acid burns and torn ligaments and freezing-hot sensation of a hand device. Even the scrape across his forearm from when he fell off his bike when he was twelve.

Jack screamed, and then there was welcoming, pain-free unconsciousness.


	9. Chapter 9

Watching the dogfighting between their F-302s and the Alliance deathgliders and al'kesh, Cam was glad they'd been able to wipe out the impromptu minefield first. There was a period of calm as the two fleets closed to weapons range of each other, and then the closer ha'tak began firing.

"All batteries, return fire," Cam said. To the open comm channel, he added, "Colonel, recommend you engage Ha'tak Alpha. Beta seems to be hanging back." The Colonel on the _Hammond_ nodded, and Cam gestured for Flannery to cut the connection.

Cam didn't know why the first ha'tak was the only one firing, but it was certainly doing some serious damage to the _Odyssey_'s shields. The al'kesh were engaging the _Hope_, the _Abydos_, the _Landry_, and the _Guadalcanal_, leaving the _Odyssey_ and the _Hammond_ to focus on the first ha'tak. Then the second ha'tak began firing, staff cannons focused on the smaller ships.

Suddenly, Cam felt the _Odyssey_ rock to one side. "What was that?" he said, as additional alarms blared.

"The _Hope_ has been destroyed," Davidson said. He consulted the board and frowned. "It looks like she hit a mine we missed." He turned to look at Cam. "I'm sorry, Mitchell."

Cam nodded absently, struck dumb. His ship, his _crew_ gone, just like that. Those men had become like family in the months they'd been hauling freight and avoiding Lucian Alliance patrols. It was like losing the Snakeskinners all over again.

"Colonel, I don't know what the _Hammond_ is doing, but she's changed direction," Davidson called, pulling Cam forcefully into the present. "She's breaking off and moving to intercept Beta."

"Flannery, get me the _Hammond_," Cam said. The _Odyssey_ shuddered as a ha'tak blast penetrated the shields and ate away at the armor. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Colonel?" he said when the connection opened.

"We've lost forward shields, fire control, and primary life support, and I know you're not doing so hot, either. I'm beaming all non-essential personnel to the SGC. I intend to go down fighting," he said. "Tell my kids…you know the drill."

Both bridges were silent, but for the clamor of alarms. "Concentrate all batteries on covering the _Hammond_," Cam said finally, the words aimed at Stein but he was still facing the main screen. "Make sure she gets where she's going."

The connection with the _Hammond_ cut, but not before Cam heard the other Colonel's quiet "thank you". Cam realized he didn't even know the other man's name.

*

To Daniel, it seemed like Jack fell in slow motion, though he knew it was only fractions of a second. He staggered the last few steps forward and fell to his knees at Jack's side. He was barely aware of Adria still standing over them. "No," he said, brushing Jack's hair back from his face with shaking hands. "No, not again. Not now. Please."

"Daniel, get out of the way!" Sam yelled, running forward. Adria chuckled and raised her hand, and Sam went flying into a wall.

Daniel pressed his fingers to the artery in Jack's neck, but there was nothing, not even a flutter. Teal'c, Cam, and Vala were God-knew where—he was the only one who could take Adria down. "Why are you doing this?" he said, tilting his head to look her full in the face.

Daniel reached for his gun, but Adria waved her hand and it flew out of his grip. "Poor little Daniel," she said. "You have touched godhood, and still you cannot think beyond the concerns of mere mortals."

"Just tell me why," Daniel said, standing. If he was going to die, it would be on his feet.

Adria's smile was radiant. "Because I can."

"No!" Daniel yelled. And then the world went white.


	10. Chapter 10

"Stein, focus all batteries on that ha'tak," Cam said. "The _Hammond_ has to get through." Stein's "aye, sir" barely registered; Cam was watching the _Hammond_ on the main screen. She approached the second ha'tak, which was finally attempting some sort of evasive maneuver, and then time seemed to freeze for a moment before the _Hammond_ punched through the ha'tak's side.

There was an incandescent flare as the _Hammond_'s reactor went critical, and Cam knew that the shockwave was about to hit. "All hands, brace for impact," he yelled, just before the shockwave rattled the whole ship. "Talk to me, Andrews, who's still out there?"

"The _Hammond_ and the Beta have been completely destroyed. Alpha was close enough that it took some damage, but their shields are holding. They're down to three al'kesh and no deathgliders that I can see."

"What about our forces?"

"Most of our F-302s were able to shelter behind us from the worst of the blast," Flannery said. "_Landry_ has lost weapons. _Abydos_ has lost propulsion and starboard shields. _Guadalcanal_ is reporting only ten percent shield strength. We're banged up, but we're in better shape than they are."

"Hail the ha'tak," Cam said but, before Flannery could, the remaining ships were zipping off into a hyperspace window. There was a collective exhalation on the bridge, and Cam felt his shoulders relax. "Good job, everyone. Clear the _Hammond_'s 302s for landing." Cam stood up. "Colonel, Send engineering teams to the other ships. Begin recovery operations on the _Hammond_ and the _Hope_. You have the bridge. I'm beaming down to the surface."

*

Sam felt like one big bruise when she came to, but nothing felt broken, which didn't match how she'd felt when she'd hit the wall. And passed out, she supposed. It would explain the fact that she'd obviously blacked out, but she didn't feel muzzy or concussed, and her head wasn't any sorer than the rest of her.

Jack was lying where he'd fallen, Daniel draped over him. Adria lay a few feet away, her head at an unnatural angle. Sam hauled herself up the wall with a groan and went over to check on Daniel.

Daniel seemed to have passed out, too, but his pulse was strong and he didn't look like he was bleeding. Sam shook his shoulder gently, and he struggled feebly. "C'mon, Daniel, wake up," she said.

"Don't want to," Daniel said. "Jack's dead, just leave me alone."

"Rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated," Jack said breathlessly, and Daniel practically shot up off of him and back a few feet.

"But you…you died," he said. Then he turned to actually look at Sam. "And she slammed you into a wall." Before Sam could say anything, Daniel threw himself at her, hugging her tightly. She didn't hesitate in hugging him back.

"Apparently Heaven still doesn't want us," Jack said, pushing himself up into a sitting position with a groan. "What about Adria?"

"Dead," Daniel said, muffled from the way he was pressing his face into Sam's shoulder. She didn't mind at all. "Must have—must have brought you back when I killed her."

"I told you Oma'd left you presents," Jack said, and Daniel turned to hug the life out of him next. "Oof, careful, dying really takes it out of a guy."

"Shut up," Daniel said, laughing a little hysterically. "Just shut up."

Sam leaned forward to wrap her arms around Daniel. Her eyes met Jack's, and there was a moment of complete understanding before she buried her face in Daniel's shoulder, the last few minutes really hitting home.

She looked up when she heard footsteps, and was greeted with the sight of Cam, Teal'c, and Vala standing in the doorway, varying degrees of bemusement on their faces. "Y'know," Cam said, "I don't even want to know."


End file.
